EXPERIENCED
LEADERSHIP
Stephen Franks
CEO /Co-Founder
I am passionate about teaching and learning, technology, education, and human development and in supporting the community around me. My lecturing area is networking, systems and security. I believe that innovation is the only thing that ever moves fast. We can always find new ways of doing things not only faster and more efficiently but also more securely. That's why I'm working on developing skills in systems and network automation and believe that continual learning in the security field is a must in today's landscape.
What do I do?
I ask the right questions. I find answers. I think out of the box.
I understand that the relationships I can make can benefit everyone, and that the only good deal is one where everyone walks away a winner.
Who am I?
I am someone who will listen to everyone and anyone, but will make my own judgments based on all the facts I can gather. I will learn from not only my own but others experiences. I understand that the best way to raise myself up is to lift all those around me as well.
LAURA FRANKS
COO / CO-Founder
I am a 30 year veteran educator with 24 years experience working in and teaching technology in all of its facets. I have plied my craft in secondary and post-secondary educational environments as well as in industry, working with learners of all ages, abilities, and background knowledge from front-line users to chief executives to help them better achieve their goals. One of my favourite challenges is to create a learning opportunity that resonates deeply with those I am working with, presenting them with situations that they can truly relate to and that help them intuitively internalize the new knowledge and skills they are acquiring. I am very passionate about lifelong learning and encourage and engage in Reflective Practice.
What do I do?
I think, I investigate, I research, I learn and analyze, I evaluate, I come up with alternatives and different ways of doing and approaching things that can bring a new experience to light in an effort to make experiences and situations better. I love experimenting with new approaches and ways of doing things to see how the outcomes change, hopefully for the better, but always with the goal of learning. Learning about the world around me, the people around me, the situations around me. Isn't that what learning is all about? Trying something new to find out what the result will be?
Who am I?
I am a learner, I am a teacher, I am a facilitator, I am an explorer, I am a tester, I am a thinker, I am an analyzer, I am an evaluator. Sometimes I am a leader, sometimes I am a follower, sometimes I am a team member, but I am always an individual. I believe in myself and I strongly believe in doing things differently! I don't do things for the sake of getting them done, I do things for the experience, for the learning, for the achievement. I don't need to compete, I explore, learn, share, and work on always getting better. Every experience is a learning opportunity, whether good, bad or indifferent! I always want to take advantage of each and every one of them.
What's your new for today?
ABOUT US
WITH CARE AND ATTENTION, IT'S HOW WE DO IT.
OUR STORY
We started as Total Learning Services in Ontario 15 years ago, solopreneurs, when we realized that small companies, sole proprietors, and not-for-profits were largely being ignored, left to their own devices, or worse, being taken advantage of by many of the local "MSPs" (Managed Service Providers, though that term was not in common use back then). That said, we had been looking after a small, select group of companies and individuals for well over 20 years at that point, in addition to teaching Computer Science at College (1 -3 year and post graduate level programs), High School and at University. All our clients knew our students came first!
Now we have moved to where our hearts are, Nova Scotia, and we see the same need here as we saw in Ontario. The need for a trusted source of information and support for smaller organizations and individuals. Companies that can not afford dedicated resources in-house, but that still recognize the need for IT within their business. Because we recognized this need, we formed Solopreneur IT Support and Security Services Inc.
We bring with us a passion for IT Security (we both have Masters in it) as well as years worth of our own connections and support (no-one should do this alone!)
We continue to grow, learn and make new connections, and are willing to bring that experience to bear on your needs.
Check us out and follow us on LinkedIn!
SolopreneurIT
